Mandara seemed to know something big was about to happen. So she let out a yell, caught hold of her 2-year-old daughter Kibibi and climbed up into a tree. She lives at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

And on Tuesday, August 23rd, witnesses say she seemed to sense the big earthquake that shook much of the East Coast before any humans knew what was going on. And she’s not the only one. In the moments before the quake, an orangutan (猩猩) let out a loud call and then climbed to the top of her shelter.

“It’s very different from their normal call,” said Brandie Smith, the zookeeper. “The lemurs (monkey-like animals of Madagascar) will sound an alarm call if they see or hear something highly unusual.”

But you can’t see or hear an earthquake 15 minutes before it happens, can you? Maybe you can — if you’re an animal. “Animals can hear above and below our range of hearing,” said Brandie Smith. “That’s part of their special abilities. They’re more sensitive to the environment, which is how they survive.”

Primates weren’t the only animals that seemed to sense the quake before it happened. One of the elephants made a warning sound. And a huge lizard (蜥蜴) ran quickly for cover. The flamingoes (a kind of bird) gathered before the quake and stayed together until the shaking stopped.

So what kind of vibrations were the animals picking up in the moments before the quake? Scientist Susan Hough says earthquakes produce two types of waves — a weak “P” wave and then a much stronger “S” wave. The “P” stands for “primary”. And the “S” stands for “secondary”. She said she thinks the “P” wave might be what set the animals off.

Not all the animals behaved unusually before the quake. For example, Smith says the zoo’s giant pandas didn’t jump up until the shaking actually began. But many of the other animals seemed to know something was coming before it happened. “I’m not surprised at all,” Smith said.

1.Why did Mandara act strangely one day?

A．Because it sensed something unusual would happen.

B．Because its daughter Kibibi was injured.

C．Because it heard an orangutan let out a loud call.

D．Because an earthquake had happened.

2.According to Brandie Smith, _____.

A．many animals’ hearing is sharp

B．earthquakes produce two types of waves

C．primates usually gather together before a quake

D．humans can also develop the ability to sense a quake

3.Which word in the passage has a close meaning to the underlined word “cover”?

A．vibration          B．shelter            C．quake            D．range

4.Which animal seems unable to sense a quake?

A．A giant panda.      B．A flamingo.         C．A lemur.          D．A lizard.

5.What is the best title for the passage?

A．How animals survive a quake.              B．How animals differ from humans.

C．How animals behave before a quake.        D．How animals protect their young in a quake.

 

There lived a king who liked art. One day an artist offered to  paint the most beautiful picture in the world on the wall of his palace.

So he king said, “ All right, you may work on one of the walls in the new hall. ”

Just then, another artist said, “Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so the either of us cannot see the other. ”

Everyone in the king’s court, including the king and the first artist was surprised. So the king decided to give the man a chance.

The following day, a thick curtain was put into place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought in a regular supply of paint, oil and water. But the second one would come with a cloth and a bucket of water every day.

A month later the first artist said that his work was completed and invited the king to come.

So the king sent the message to the second artist, saying he was coming to see their works that evening.

After seeing the first artist’s wall, the king was very impressed with the painting and gave him a huge sum of money as a reward. He then asked for the curtain to be opened up.

The same painting was seen on the opposite wall too! It was exactly like the one on the first wall. But this man had not seen what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.

The man said simply, “It’s very easy I just polished the wall every day! ”

It was a wall made of white marble. The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror. The reflection of the painting across the room showed up in it!

56．A thick curtain was put up between the two walls in order to __________.

A．help them concentrate on their work

B．keep the first artist’s painting a secret

C．prevent their painting from being seen

D．make it hard for them to exchange ideas

57．Why did the first artist receive a huge sum of money from the king?

A．His painting satisfied the king.

B．His painting was the best the king has ever seen.

C．He painted better than the second artist.

D．The king promised to give him a reward.

58．How was the king feeling when he saw the second wall ?

A．Surprised and excited.           B. Fascinated and doubtful.

C．Satisfied and curious.            D. The paintings on the wall.

59．What would be best title of the text?        .

A．A king who loved art            B．Two artists and the king

C．Whose painting is better?        D．The painting on the wall

Lee Humberg, district manager for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is the man in charge of figuring out how to remove the flocks (群) of 15,000 to 20,000 Canada geese(大雁) that could strike planes flying in and out of the New York area. The Port Authority, the agency that manages airport in New York and New Jersey, estimates that there have been as many as 315 bird strikes annually in the past 30 years.

    Bird strikes have been a hot topic since a US Airways jet suffered a “double strike” and made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in January 2009. All 155 passengers were rescued safely and the flight was called “Miracle on the Hudson”. The plane finally ended up at the Carolinas Aviation Museum. The next major bird strike may not have such a happy ending.

    To thin the flocks, Humberg and his team have tracked down goose nests and killed eggs with corn oil. They’ve also terrified the birds with dogs, remote-controlled boats and kites that look like eagles. But the only method that effectively decreases the goose population is the one that angers animal lovers the most: gassing hundreds at a time.

    “If all you are doing is goose harassment (骚扰) every day, it’s very frustrating, because you are just playing Ping-Pong with the birds,” Humberg told New York magazine. “It’s basically an arms race to come up with the tools to deal with them.”

    Now New York City plans to send the geese captured to Pennsylvania to be cooked and distributed at food banks as meals for the poor. That might just be a fate better than flying into a 747 engine.

1.What can we learn form Humberg?

    A. He does research on geese’s living conditions.

    B. He makes efforts to protect wild birds.

    C. He deals with the danger of birds at airports.

    D. He tries to find newer and safer airlines.

2.Why was the flight called “Miracle on the Hudson”?

    A. It suffered a “double strike”.         B. It arrived at a plane museum.

    C. It only caused a few deaths.         D. It succeeded in landing on a river.

3.By saying “you are just playing Ping-Pong with the birds”, Humberg means ______.

A. It’s interesting to fight with the birds

B. It’s a skill-needed race against the birds

C. you can’t defeat the bird in the end           

D. you should live with birds peacefully

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

    A. Canada geese can fly as high as planes

    B. New York airlines are in poor management

    C. bird strikes happen once a week on average

    D. the poor may also benefit from Humberg’s work

 

Surprises often come in boxes. Birthday presents wrapped in colorful paper, brown paper packages mailed from a friend. No matter what kind of box it is, people like to open it up and see what's inside. In America, and in many other countries, one special kind of box contains the future. It's called a ballot box. What people put into the box on election day can change the course of history.

Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy. The word democracy literally means "the people rule," an important concept in American history. In the mid-1700s, England began passing laws that made the American colonies angry. The colonists had to pay more and more taxes and enjoyed less and less freedom. They felt the government of England didn't represent their interests. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared their independence from England. They wanted to establish a democracy where people could have a voice in government.

An effective democracy holds regular elections. In America, elections are held every two years for members of Congress. In these elections, all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. In addition, every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the nation's president and vice-president. Voters also regularly cast their ballots for state and city government leaders and local school board members. Sometimes they also have to vote on a proposed law.

In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.

Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed cheating, giving bribes and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.

In November, Americans will again elect those who will represent them in government. Although some citizens aren't even registered to vote--and some registered voters don't bother to go to the polls--most Americans exercise their right to vote. They realize that their future is wrapped up in a special package--the ballot box. It's a package that must definitely be "handled with care."

1.According to the context, what does a “ballot box” mean in Chinese?

A．彩票箱           B．投票箱           C．礼品箱           D．保险箱

2.Democracy means that ____.

A．People couldn’t have a voice in a government.

B．In America, elections are held every four years for members of Congress.

C．Democracy is the lifeblood of elections.

D．Basically “ the people rule”, and it’s very important in American history.

3.How will the votes distributed if Romney got 20 votes while Obama received 17 votes in California in the election?

A．Romney will win 20 votes in California.

B．Obama will win 20 votes in California.

C．Romney will win 37 votes in California.

D．Obama will win 37 votes in California.

4. Which one is RIGHT about election reforms?

A．People have to pay a special tax to vote.

B．There are bribes and threatening in elections now.

C．People above eighteen years old can vote now.

D．The disabled or the blind have tough access to voting.

5. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Birthday boxes in the U.S.                 B．Election systems in the U.S.

C．Election reforms in the U.S.                D．Democracy in the U.S.

 

We’ll have a picnic in the park this Sunday _________ it rains or it’s very cold.

      A. since            B. if               C. unless          D. until